The Regional Affairs Committee is a general committee of the
House of Commons of the United Kingdom
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...
that considers any matter related to regional affairs in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
that may be referred to it.
The Committee comprises thirteen MPs from English constituencies, although any
MP representing an English constituency may participate in its debates and proceedings. In that way it is similar to the
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
,
Scottish, and
Welsh Grand Committees and is effectively an English Grand Committee. Also like those committees, provision is made for it to meet away from Westminster.
History
The committee in its present form was created by House of Commons Standing Order 117 in 2000 as the Standing Committee on Regional Affairs, superseding an earlier standing committee established in 1975. It last met in June 2004. No members have been appointed since the 2005–10 Parliament.
The standing order establishing the Regional Affairs Committee was suspended between 2009 and 2010 when
Regional Grand Committees and
Regional Select Committees were established by temporary standing orders.
In May 2010, the
Leader of the House of Commons
The Leader of the House of Commons is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom whose main role is organising government business in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons. The Leader is always a memb ...
,
Sir George Young, said that the Government would not reintroduce the temporary standing orders for the regional select committees.
During the present parliament elected in 2024, Standing Order 117 remains valid and the committee continues to exist, however as of October 2024, no appointments have been made to it.
See also
*
Mayoral Council for England
*
List of committees of the United Kingdom Parliament
**
Regional Grand Committees
**
Regional Select Committees
**
Legislative Grand Committees
References
External links
Regional Affairs Committee
{{UKParliamentCommittees
Committees of the British House of Commons